Automatic releasing device for boats.



c. HUNT. AUTOMATIC RELEASING DEVICE FOR BOATS.

I APPLICATION FILED APR. 8. 1909. 936,632, Patented Oct. 12,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES ANDREW. a. GRAHAM co. mmo-Lmwsuvmi. WAsmNm'on; I:

0.2mm, AUTOMATIC RELEASIATG DEVICE FOR BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED AP-R.8,190 9 9 365832; Patented Oct; 1909.

2 SHEET s BET 2.

CHARLES HUNT, OFNEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC RELEASING DEVICE FOR BOATS.

assess.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 12, 1909.

Application filed April 8, 1909. Serial No. 488,550.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES HUNT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have inventeda new and useful Improvement in Automatic Releas-i ing Devices for Boats, of which the follow-1 ing is a description.

This invention relates to releasing devices to be attached to life or other boats for launching the same from vessels, and particularly to releasing devices which will operate automatically to release the launchingtackle instantly upon the boat striking the water.

Among the objects of my invention may be noted the following: to provide means by which the life-boat may be automatically released at both ends from its supportingtackle instantly the bottom of the boat strikes the water; to provide a simple, compact, strong, and effective automatic releasing device for supporting the boat upon the launching-tackle; and to provide a releasing-device which will operate of its own volition under the proper conditions to re lease the boat from the launching-tackle.

With the above objects in View, and others which will be noted during the course of this description, my invention consists in the parts, features, elements and combinations of elements as hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I have provided drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a life boat showing my automatic releasing device attached thereto at its opposite ends; Fig. 2 is a'partial side elevation and section of one form of my automatic releasing device detached from the boat; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device shown in Fig. 2; r

i Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing another form of automatic releasing-device; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the releasing device of Fig.4, showing the same in open position; and Fig. 6 is a partial'section and elevation of another form of automatic re-. leasing device.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the boat is indi cated by a, provided ,with the usual fore and aft decks b, to each of which is secured one of my releasing devices.

In the form of Figs. 2 and 3, the releasing device consists of the base 1, provided at any suitable point with a series of apertures 2, for passage of bolts therethrough to attach the device to the deck of the boat. The base has rising therefrom, at its outer end, journal-bearings 3, for the reception of a pin 4, upon which is journaled the holding-bar 5, between the two bearings 3, said base also having, adjacent the bearings, a grooved support 6, upon which the holding-bar 5 may normally rest, said holding-bar, at its forward end, being provided with the extended lug 7, providing a seat for the reception of the cooperating lug 8, upon the adjacent end of a locking block 9, journaled upon the pin 10, having its bearings in the two parallel vertical extensions 11, at the inner end of the base 1, said locking-block 9, at its inner end, being bifurcated so as to provide the arms 12, through which passes the pin 13, for the guidance and retention of the tripping-bar or lever 14, the upper end 15 of which is provided with the elongated slot 16, through which passes the said pin 13, and said upper end being narrowed suflicientlyto be received between the two arms 12. The breadth of the body-portion of the trippinglever 14 is such as to afford seats or supports 17, at opposite sides, upon which rest the bottoms of the arms 12 of said lockingblock. The lower end of the lever 14 is rounded as at 18 and coeperates with the surface 19 of the base 1, which thereby becomes a seat for the said rounded end of the lever 14, against which said lever is normally pressed when in proper position for maintaining the locking-block and holding bar in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The forward end of the base, adjacent the seat 19, is beveled so as to provide for the quick release and easy movement of the lever 14, when the device is started into operation.

As will be readily understood, upon viewing Figs. 1, 2 and 3, with the loop or hook 21 of the launching-tackle 22 encircling the bar .5, and the boat in suspension, as when being let down into the water, the weight of, and in, the boat will create a strain upon the launching-tackleand a pull upon the bar 5, in the direction of the arrow (4, in Fig. 2. This causes pressure of the lug 7 on the bottom of the coiiperating-lug 8, of the lockingblock 9, and downward pressure of the arms 12 on the seats 17 of lever 14 in the direction of the arrow Z), Fig. 2, thus driving the rounded end 18 of said lever forcibly against its seat 19 on the base. This prevents any movement of the bar 5 until a sufficient jar causes the strain of the launching-tackle upon the bar 5 to be eased off and simultaneously therewith movement of the lever 14 from its seat at 19 on the base. Such jar will occur and such relaxation of the launching-tackle will be produced when the bottom of the boat forcibly strikes the surface of the water, this occurrence causing the lever 14: to jar from its seat at 19, thus releasing the locking-block and permitting the holding-bar to fly vertically in the direction of the arrow a around its axis and permitting the loop or hook 21 of the launchingtackle to slide therefrom and thus release the boat.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the locking-block consists of the body-portion 25, journaled upon the pin 10, and having the outwardlyextending lug 26, cooperating with a similar lug 27, upon the holding-bar 5, which is journaled upon the base 1, as in the form of Figs. 2 and 3. The inner end of the locking-block 25 is in the form of a single arm 28, received between the two arms 29, at the upper end of the tripping-lever 30, the pin 31 forming the connection between said arm 28 and the two arms 29 of said lever 30. The lower end of the lever 30 is rounded as at 32, and has its seat at 33 on the base 1, the latter being beveled as at 20 in the other form. The free end or lug 27 of the bar 5 normally rests in closed condition of the releasing-device upon the support 34, extending vertically from the base 1. From the foregoing description, it will be seen that this form of my releasing-device operates in precisely the same manner as that above set forth in connection with the form of Figs. 2 and 3; that is to say, the shock of contact of the bottom of the boat, with the surface of the water, and the accompanying release of the strain of the launching-tackle upon the holding-bar 5, will result in jarring the tripping lever 30 from its seat at 33 on the base, thus causing the locking-block 25 to move upon its axis and allow the holding-bar to swing vertically around its axis 4, the normal locked posit-ion of the tripping-lever being at an acute-angle to the base so as to aid its movement from the seat 33.

In the form of my invention shown in Fig. 6, the locking-block is provided at its outer end with the groove 36 in its bottom, in which is received the upper portion of the forward end of the holding-bar 37, which is of uniform diameter from end to end, the opposite portion of the forward end of the locking-bar 37 being received in the groove 38 of the vertical standard 39 of the base 1. The outer end 40 of the lockingblock 35 is provided with the vertical groove 411, in which is received the upper narrowed end 42 of the tripping-lever 43, journaled at its lower end at 44, upon the base 1, between the. two journal-lugs ll). At its upper end, the tripping-lever 43 is provided with the weight 4:6, in the form of a rounded knob or extension, and at the junction of the narrowed upper end 12, with the body-portion of the lever 4-3, the latter is provided with the seat 47, upon which rests the outer end 4-0 of the locking-block The locking-block is journaled upon the pin 18, which passes through cars 49 and the standard 50, rising from the base 1. In operation, the shock of contact of the boat-bottom with the surface of the water will jar the tripping-lever from eugagement with the locking-block, facilitated by the weight on said lever, thus allowing the block to swing about its axis and release the holding-bar to permit the ring of the launching-tackle to slip therefrom and re lease the boat.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that in all the forms of my invention there is a holding-bar released auton'iatically from its cooperating locking-block by jarring a tripping-lever into action, and that the essentials of the automatic releasing device are a tripping-lever, a locking-block, and holding-bar, combined so as to be jarred. into action and operate automatically to release the launching-tackle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A launching device for boats having, in combination, av frame for attachment to a boat, a holding-bar journaled thereon, a locking-block cooperating with the bar, and a tripping-lever having one end in engagement with the frame, the lever and block being combined so as to enable the one to release the other automatically by jarring the device.

2. A releasing device for boats, comprising a supporting-frame, a holding-bar journaled thereon, a locking-block also journaled on the frame and cooperating with the bar, and means cooperating with the frame and locking-block enabling the latter to be auto matically tripped into action by jarring the device.

3. A releasing device for boats, comprising a supporting-frame, a holding-bar journaled on the frame, a locking-block journaled on the frame, a tripping-lever normally at rest upon the frame, the block and bar having interlocking cooperation and the coiiperation of the block and lever bein such as to maintain the interlocking cooperation of the bar and block, and the arrangement being such that, when the device is arred, the lever will be tripped into action to cause the block to operate to release the bar.

L. In combination with a boat, releasing from its engagement With the holding-bar devices secured thereto, one at each end, each when the boat receives a shock or jar. of said releasing devices including a holding- In testimony whereof I have hereunto bar for engaging a member of a launchingsigned my name in the presence of two sub- 5 tackle, a locking-block cooperating With said scribing Witnesses.

bar to maintain said member of the launching-tackle on said bar, and a tripping-lever I normally in engagement With the frame and WVitnesses: cooperating With the locking-block in such CHAS. MOO. CHAPMAN, 10 manner as to automatically release the latter M. Hnnsimvi'rz.

CHARLES HUNT. 

